National Protection War

The National Protection War (25 December 1915-14 July 1916) was a civil war in China that occurred when several republican leaders of the Chinese military rose up against the restored Chinese monarchy under Yuan Shikai in southern, southeastern, and eastern China. The war was the long-awaited "Second Revolution" that had previously failed under Sun Yat-sen, whose 1913 attempt to overthrow the dictatorship of Yuan Shikai landed him in exile in Japan. Yuan Shikai's December 1915 elevation to the title of Emperor was met with opposition from the democratic elements of the military, and his cession of Shandong and Tianjin to Japan and other humiliation concessions led to many Chinese people decrying him as a traitor. His former general Cai E rebelled in Sichuan, and Cai E's defeat of Wu Peifu in battle led to many other southern provinces declaring independence and rising in rebellion against Yuan's monarchy. In March 1916, Yuan abdicated as Emperor, becoming President of China, and he died on 6 June 1916. In July 1916, the war came to an end as the royalists were forced to surrender, and democracy was restored. However, the war led to the decentralization of China and a break in north-south relations, ushering in a new era of civil warfare between several powerful warlords.